Trial By Fire: LanYing's Story
by Angel13blue
Summary: In the world of Avatar, the Last Airbender, the 100 year war is raging. LanYing is a girl who holds a secret that may bring destruction to her family. The Avatar is the answer to her prayers, but if she is caught, everyone she loves will pay.
1. Chapter 1: The Beginning

Trial by Fire: LanYing's story

Ch.1: The Beginning

Long ago, the four nations of the world lived together in harmony. There was the Earth Kingdom, the North and South pole Water Tribes, the Air Nomads, and the Fire Nation. Fire Lord Sozin decided to grace the world with the "honor" of joining the Fire Nation, but when they refused his offer, he attacked them instead. Avatar Roku was certainly displeased with Sozin's actions, but he disappeared from the Earth, giving Sozin the chance to continue conquering the world. All was in a state of chaos while the world searched and waited for the new Avatar. In this world that you already know of, ordinary families lived and tried to raise their children in these dark times. This is a tale of one such family.

* * *

Liu groaned in agony as another contraction came.

"Ju-Long, you idiot where are you," she muttered to herself between clenched teeth. "I sent you a messenger an hour ago, surely you know by now the baby is coming!"

She hissed as the pain washed over her once more.

"There now Mrs. Zhú, I'm sure he's on his way right now."

The midwife entered the room with a bowl of water and a wet towel to put on Liu's head."You can't expect the messenger to find your husband's boat out on the river amongst all the other boats right away now, can you?"

Liu sighed in exasperation and pain. "I suppose not, but I wish he were here right now." A warble of fear crept into her voice. "I don't want to go through this alone."

The midwife wrung the towel and placed it on Liu's forehead. "You aren't alone. I'm here with you. And I will make sure you have a safe delivery."

Liu smiled in gratitude and opened her mouth to thank the woman, when another contraction came and a yelp of pain came out instead.

"Ohhhh it's getting worse, it's getting much worse!" Liu groaned in agony.

The midwife checked Liu over quickly and realized that the husband was probably going to miss his child's birth.

"I'm sorry Mrs. Zhú, but I'm afraid the baby doesn't want to wait for their father any longer. They're coming now. I need you to take a deep breath and push for me."

* * *

"Liu! Liu! Are you alright!?" Zhú Ju-Long slammed the wooden door behind him and clumsily hopped on one foot to pull off his shoes.

In his haste to get home, he accidentally brought a fishing net with him, slung over his shoulder, and it was doing its best to tangle around his feet and trip him. Eventually, he was able to get his shoes and net off, leaving them in a heap in front of the door. He rushed into the bedroom where his wife was.

"I'm sorry, the messenger had a hard time finding me he said that you gave him the message a long time ag-" His sentence was cut off as he stared at the scene in front of him.

The midwife was placing a wrapped bundle in his wife's arms. She looked exhausted, but radiant as she held the child- their child- in her arms. She glanced up at him, a tired, but mischievous look in her eyes.

"Zhú Ju-Long, you're late." She said. Ju-Long smiled sheepishly. "I know, Liu. I'm sorry."

They looked at each other and broke out in laughter.

"Well," Liu said, "come meet your daughter." "My daughter." Ju-Long repeated and crossed the room to the bed where his wife lay.

The midwife smiled as she watched the man look at his child for the first time.

"She's beautiful" he whispered softly as he looked at the newborn. "And so tiny! Just like you Liu!"

Liu, tired as she was jabbed him in the ribs. "You could have just left off at the 'beautiful' part, idiot!"

They laughed together and Ju-Long gently pulled Liu's face to his and kissed her.

"I love you, Liu." Ju-Long said. "You and our baby are the most beautiful creatures on this earth."

Liu blushed softly. "Are you being serious for once? That's not like you Ju-Long."

Ju-Long put his arm around his wife's shoulders.

"I'm as serious as I was when I asked you to marry me. And look at us now. We have our own family. And this little one will grow up to be just as beautiful as her mother and as strong as her father."

He look down at his child and reached out to touch her. As he did, the baby wrapped her small hand around his finger. Ju-Long's eyes welled up with tears of happiness.

"What should we call her?" He asked Liu.

Liu was silent for a moment. "I've been thinking of names and there's one that I've liked for a girl. How do you feel about Lan?"

Ju-Long thought for a while, then responded, "I like it, but it's too short. I'm going to end up getting Liu and Lan mixed up. What if we add something to it? Like… LanYing?"

"LanYing." Liu reapeated. "I like that."

Liu leaned her head on her husband's shoulder and addressed her child. "Hello LanYing. I'm your mother and this is your father. We're so happy you're here."

Ju-Long chimed in. "You picked a wonderful time to be born, little one. You're a citizen of the greatest nation in the world. Fire Lord Azulon and his sons will surely bring the Fire Nation to greatness."


	2. Chapter 2: Seven Years Later

Trial by Fire: LanYing's Story

Ch. 2: Seven Years Later

* * *

LanYing trotted up to her mother, who was sweeping the ground in front of the house.

"Mommy, mommy! I caught a beetleworm! Look!"

LanYing shoved the bug in her mother's face, who shrieked in response. Liu pushed her daughter's hand away.

"LanYing! You scared me! Please don't shove bugs in my face dear. Mommy isn't as fond of them as you are."

LanYing's face drooped in response to her mother's words. Liu smiled.

"Mommy doesn't like bugs, but she loves her little Fire Flake." Liu tousled her daughter's black hair with her free hand. LanYing giggled.

"Do you think Papa would like my beetleworm? It's a big one. Jin-Lee and Enju helped me grab 'im."

"Where are Jin-Lee and Enju?" Liu asked, glancing around the street. Usually her daughter's playmates were always by her side.

"Oh, they're still down by the mountain." LanYing crouched on the ground and poked at her beetleworm's wriggling antennae. "Enju wanted to find another beetleworm to show her brother."

Liu frowned, suddenly feeling uneasy. "Sweetie, I don't feel comfortable about you three playing by the woods by the mountain. It's dangerous. People have been-"

Liu bit her lip, not wanting to scare her daughter. LanYing was looking up at her, head cocked and eyes twinkling with curiosity about her mother's next words.

Liu sighed. "Nevermind, dear. Why don't you go get your friends and see if your Papa is off of work? Perhaps he can help you decide who has a better beetleworm."

LanYing's face lit up at the thought of competition. "Yes! I'm gonna be the winner, my beetleworm is the best!"

LanYing dashed off, scattering the leaves her mother was trying to sweep and covering her red clothes with dust. Liu watched as her daughter's back disappeared in the direction of the woods.

"She's so energetic." She said to herself. "I just hope that energy doesn't get her in trouble."

She leaned on her broom, suddenly feeling tired. "She's growing up so fast. It won't be long before we discover if she's a fire bender or not. She does already take after her father."

Liu imagined her already hyperactive child having to control flames and shivered, suddenly sweeping up the leaves in a frenzy. "I hope for the sake of our house's structural integrity that she isn't a bender."

* * *

Ju-Long came through the door with 3 children rolling around his feet and a small sack full of fish.

"Liu, sweetheart, we're home!" He called, lifting a foot to avoid a small flame shot from Enju's fist.

"Well, 'we' and a few extras." He laughed, prying LanYing from the writhing mass of children on the floor and lifting her into the air.

"Put me down Papa! I almost had her!" LanYing shouted in protest as she wriggled to escape his grasp.

"You almost had singed eyebrows, you mean." Her father responded. "You three are getting too big for this nonsense and Enju is already able to produce fire. It's getting dangerous for you girls to be roughhousing like this. One of you could get hurt!"

LanYing pouted and muttered "Fine. But my beetleworm WAS better. I deserved to win."

Ju-Long smiled, but a squeal from Jin-Lee reminded him that two of the three girls not only were not listening, but they were still occupied with their tussle. He quickly set LanYing on her feet and went to break up the fight.

"Hey, hey now! That's enough girls. You need to settle down. Jin-Lee, I thought this fight was caused because LanYing was mad I picked Enju's beetleworm as the winner. How on earth did YOU get involved?"

Jin-Lee frowned. "I helped Enju catch the beetleworm because she said she'd let me have a turn playing with it. But she gave it to her brother before I had a chance to! And then LanYing said her beetleworm was prettier than I was, so I'm mad at both of them."

Jin-Lee smirked proudly. "But I was able to bite LanYing's arm and I punched Enju in the face, so I feel better now."

Enju stuck her tongue out at Jin-Lee.

"That's enough girls." Ju-Long said sternly. "It sounds like everyone is in the wrong here. I want you girls to apologize to one another."

All three girls broke into loud protests at this order.

"ENOUGH." Ju-Long said firmly. "If you girls can't make up now, I'll tell Enju and Jin-Lee's parents what happened and you three won't be able to play together for the rest of the week. You girls are friends. Calling each other names, breaking promises, and getting into silly arguments isn't what friends do. Forgiveness is."

The girls glanced at each other, as if having a discussion without saying a word.

"Okay." LanYing was the first to speak. "Jin-Lee, I'm sorry for saying that my beetleworm was prettier than you. That was mean. Enju, I'm still mad at you, but I'll try to be nice."

Ju-Long chuckled. "Not quite what I had in mind, but I suppose that'll have to do. Girls?" He turned to look at the other two kids. "What about you?"

Enju shuffled her feet sheepishly and then turned to Jin-Lee. "I'm sorry I gave the beetleworm to Kei before you got a chance to play with it. I was too excited and forgot my promise. Will you forgive me Jin-Lee?"

Jin-Lee sighed. "I guess I forgive you. You too LanYing. But I won't say sorry for biting you."

Ju-Long sighed. "Jin-Lee-"

"Fine, fine, I'm sorry. I won't do it again." Jin-Lee interjected, cutting off Ju-Long. Under her breath she muttered "Unless I need to."

Ju-Long smiled, ruffling Jin-Lee's hair. "Good girl. I hope you all learned something today. Now Jin-Lee and Enju, you two should head home. It's getting late and I'm sure your parents are waiting for you."

The girls nodded and waved goodbye to LanYing before dashing out the door.

"You handled that well."

Ju-Long turned around, startled to see his wife standing behind him.

"Liu, how much of that did you see?"

"Mommy's been here since you put me down." LanYing piped up.

"Oh so you caught most of it. Well? Praise me more. I'm an amazing peacekeeper aren't I, darling?" Ju-Long struck a pose, making Liu laugh.

"The best in the whole town." She responded. "Did you have a good catch today?"

"Oh yes," Ju-Long responded, handing her the sack of fish. I sold most of them to Mr. Yao down at the market. We have plenty for dinner and plenty of money to pay for a certain someone's birthday party!"

He scooped up his daughter, tossing her in the air. LanYing squealed with laughter, filling the small house with the cheerful noise.

Liu smiled and motioned for her family to follow her. "This fish isn't doing any good in the hallway. Let's head to the kitchen and make dinner together!"

"Yay! LanYing shouted, dashing through the door to the kitchen once her father set her down. "I love helping Mommy!"

Liu followed her daughter, walking beside her husband and reached up to whisper, "If creating a colossal mess is what she means by 'help'." The two chuckled and walked, hand in hand to the kitchen together.

* * *

LanYing was quiet after dinner, which was unusual for her. She walked over to her father, who was sitting in his study, reading a scroll.

"Papa? Can I talk to you about something?"

Ju-Long immediately dropped the scroll and turned to his daughter. Of course sweetheart! What's wrong?"

LanYing twisted her hands and shuffled her feet on the stone floor.

"It's about bending. Enju can already make fire. Actually, a lot of the other kids in my class can now. Why can't I? Is something wrong with me?"

Ju-Long's heart pricked with sadness when he saw how worried his daughter was about not being able to bend. He reached out and gently grabbed her hand.

"Sweetheart. Fire bending, or no fire bending. You will always be my precious little Fire Flake. Nothing will change that."

LanYing looked up at him, on the verge of tears. "But I wanna be like you, Papa. I wanna firebend too."

Ju-Long wiped his daughter's tears away and lifted her onto his knee.

"Let me tell you a story. Once upon a time, there was a beautiful woman. She was smart, intelligent, and kind, most of the time. When she was a teenager, she rescued a stupid boy who couldn't swim from the river. She saved his life, even though she wasn't a bender. Do you know who that woman is, LanYing?"

LanYing shook her head, wide eyed.

"Who?"

"That woman is your mother."

LanYing gasped in amazement and then frowned. "But who was the boy who went in the river?"

"Ah… That's a story for another day." Ju-Long hastily changed the subject. "My point is, you don't have to be a firebender to be amazing or make a difference. And you're already plenty like me, hunting beetleworms and getting into fights. Reminds me of myself when I was your age."

LanYing giggled. "Really?"

"Really."

Ju-Long tickled LanYing, causing her to shriek with laughter.

"Stop, stop it Papa!" She squirmed off his knee and away from his tickles, giggling.

"Thank you, Papa. I feel a lot better now. Bender or not, I can still punch Enju in the face!"

Ju-Long's face quickly changed from a happy one to a stern one.

"I thought you had learned your lesson this afternoon Zhú LanYing. No more fighting!"

"I know Papa, I just wanted to see your face get smushy."

Ju-Long smiled in exasperation. "Get to bed, you before I tickle you again! Birthday girls need their sleep."

LanYing smiled and scampered up to her father to give him a goodnight kiss on the cheek.

"Goodnight, Papa. See you in the morning! I'm gonna be seven!"

She skipped off to her room, leaving her father to reminisce. "She's sure growing up fast." He said to himself.

He looked out the window at the night sky, feeling uneasy. "I hope she doesn't get caught up in this war someday."


	3. Chapter 3: The Day Everything Changed

Trial by Fire: LanYing's Story

Ch. 3: The Day Everything Changed

* * *

Ju-Long woke up early, as usual to go to work. He turned to his sleeping wife beside him.

"Good morning, my love." He whispered softly, giving her a light kiss on her forehead.

"Papa?" A small voice startled Ju-Long and he looked to see his daughter standing in the doorway.

LanYing had terrible bedhead and was rubbing her eyes, signs that she had just woken up.

"Good morning Fire flake. What are you doing up so early? It's your birthday and you need your energy for when your friends come over later."

"They won't be here until you get home from the river." LanYing said. "I wanted to ask since it's my birthday, could I come with you? I'm never allowed near the river or the boats."

"That's because you can't swim, LanYing. I haven't taught you how yet and I don't want to risk an accident."

Ju-Long got up and walked over to his daughter, placing his hand on her shoulder. "Perhaps next year. I'll take some time to teach you to swim and then you can come help me work."

LanYing pouted. "A year is FOREVER. I don't want to wait that long!"

"What's the harm in her going?" A sleepy voice came from behind Ju-Long. He turned to see his wife sitting up in bed, yawning."Nothing will happen to her as long as you're watching her. And you'll have to take her sooner or later. She's been bothering us about wanting to see what you do all day since the moment she could form sentences."

"Well…" Ju-Long thought for a minute. "I suppose as long as I keep an eye on her it'll be fine. And it is her birthday. The least I can do is listen to a request from her."

LanYing's eyes lit up with excitement. "Does this mean...!?"

Ju-Long chuckled at her excitement. "Yes, LanYing, you can come with me. As long as you promise to stay out of trouble."

"YES! You're the bestest Papa and Mommy ever!" LanYing shouted, running off to her room to change out of her bedclothes.

"Make sure to brush your hair before you leave LanYing!" Her mother called after her.

Ju-Long smirked. "I don't think she heard you, dear."

Liu sighed "I guess I'd better go help her get ready." She got out of bed and followed her daughter to her room. Ju-Long chucked and began to get his gear together and get dressed for work.

* * *

"I'm ready Papa!" LanYing's voice piped up behind Ju-Long.

Her mother had tied her hair back in a ponytail and had dressed her in older clothes that could get dirty. Fishing wasn't really clean business. Liu followed her daughter into the room and walked over to her husband. Ju-Long put his arm across her shoulders and kissed her head.

"Thank you, dear. I'm not sure I would have been able to help her get ready."

Liu smiled "Of course you wouldn't have I'm sure you'd have put her in her best clothes to go fishing."

She poked him in the ribs. "Like that one week I went to visit my parents in the Capital and left you to take care of her. When I came back I learned that you had put her in her nicest clothes one day and then let her play outside with Enju and Jin-Lee. Her clothes were covered in mud!"

"Okay, okay, I'm sorry! How long will I have to keep apologizing for you to forgive me?" Ju-Long wiped away fake tears from his eyes and pouted at his wife.

Liu laughed "When you learn your lesson. I don't think you have yet."

The family left the bedroom and went down the hallway to the kitchen, where they made breakfast together. Liu handed Ju-Long and LanYing wooden boxes wrapped in red cloth that contained their lunches.

"Have a good day you two. And you." She crouched down to her daughter's level. "Don't give your Papa any trouble okay? Stay safe."

"I will Mommy. I promise." LanYing gave her mother a big hug and then ran off to her father's side.

"See you later Liu." Ju-Long said, walking over to her. He gave her a kiss that made LanYing grimace.

"Ew. Papa, Mommy, you're gross!" The parents laughed while the daughter ran down the street in the direction of the river.

"Guess I'd better go make sure she doesn't get into trouble on the way there." Ju-Long said. "I love you."

"I love you too sweetheart." Liu said back, squeezing Ju-Long's hand once before letting go. Ju-Long hurried after his spirited daughter while Liu looked on.

"Well." Liu said to herself. "Since I'm up, I might as well get ready for LanYing's birthday party."

* * *

LanYing stood, mouth gaping and eyes wide, at the banks of the river. It was wide and a deep blue color, resting at the bottom of a canyon between two hills.

"Papa this is HUGE! I've never seen so much water before! Where does it come from? Does it end up in the ocean? What does the ocean look like? I can't imagine it's bigger than this."

Ju-Long laughed at his daughter's excitement. "It's not the biggest river in the world. Not even close. And the ocean is…"

He thought for a minute to find a comparison that his daughter would understand.

"Do you remember what the forest looked like from the top of the mountain I took you up last year?" LanYing nodded. "Well, the ocean looks like that, only it's made all of water."

LanYing's eyes shone with amazement. "I want to see that." She whispered, so seriously that Ju-Long had to hold back laughter.

"I'll have to take you and your mother someday. But for now, let's get on the boat. I have work to do and hungry mouths to feed."

He winked at his daughter and walked down the river towards the docks. LanYing trotted behind him, gazing wondrously and the busy dock. Several boats were tied up, large and small, and crew members and captains wandered about.

"Papa, our town is so small. Where did all these people come from?"

Ju-Long patted his daughter's head. "Our town may be small, but recently it's become a good resting point for sailors heading towards the ocean or heading further inland. I expect the town to grow significantly in the coming years."

The two stopped in front of a small fishing boat.

"Here we are LanYing. Hop aboard! Be careful not to rock the boat too much!" Ju-Long said as he took his daughter's hand and helped her into the boat.

LanYing leaned over the side of the boat slightly to look down into the shallows of the river. The townspeople cared for the river, so the water was clear and LanYing could see the stones lying on the bottom. Ju-Long set his nets down and untied the boat from the dock. He steered them out of the marina before raising the sail and heading downstream.

"What do you think LanYing?" He asked his daughter.

The girl tore her eyes away from the water and looked up at her father with excitement in her eyes.

"This is amazing, Papa!"

* * *

LanYing watched closely as her father hauled a net full of fish back onto the boat, getting his clothes soaked in the process.

"And that," Ju-Long said as the net fell to the bottom of the boat, "is how it's done."

The fish wriggled in the net and LanYing crouched down to eye them more closely.

"Now what Papa?"

"Now, I need you to help me put the fish into those baskets." Ju-Long pointed to the back of the boat where a couple of woven baskets sat. "We'll sell different baskets to the merchants in the marketplace."

LanYing set to work, splitting the still wriggling fish among the baskets while her father inspected a hole that had been ripped in one of his nets. As she picked up a fish, a water droplet caught her eye, shining in the sunlight.

"Ouch!" LanYing screeched suddenly, dropping the fish and stumbling backwards.

"LanYing!" Ju-Long shouted, surging forward and grabbing for his daughter, but just missing her arm. The girl toppled backwards over the side of the boat and into the river, where she was quickly swallowed into the depths.

"LANYING!" Her father was on the verge of hysteria, ready to dive in after her, when she suddenly surfaced, coughing and spluttering.

"What? LanYing… _How are you doing that_?" Her father stood, bewildered on the boat while watching his daughter float in the water. "I didn't teach you how to swim. Or even tread water!"

"I don't know Papa I just… asked the water to hold me up." Ju-Long paled and reached out to pull his daughter back into the boat.

"LanYing… what did you say?"

"I was looking at the water that was stuck on the fish and suddenly my head hurt real bad. When I fell in, I was scared. So I stuck out my hands and asked the water to help me and it did! It was cool!"

Ju-Long stared at his daughter, utterly perplexed and panicked. How could this be? How could his daughter be-

"Papa?" LanYing spoke up, eyeing her father's horrified face. "Are you okay?"


	4. Chapter 4: A Broken Family

Trial By Fire: LanYing's Story

Ch. 4: A Broken Family

* * *

Ju-Long hurried through the marketplace with his still-dripping daughter slung over his shoulder. It was Sunday, and the marketplace was extremely busy, with children running about and families trading to prepare for the coming week.

"Excuse me, please let me through! Sorry!" Ju-Long proclaimed, pushing his way through the crowd.

"Papa, why are we in such a hurry? What about your fish? You left it all on the boat."

"Hush, LanYing. Not now."

Ju-Long responded with a hardness in his voice that LanYing had never heard before. She fell silent and tears came to her eyes. Her father was always so gentle with her. What had she done wrong?

Ju-Long felt a twinge of guilt in his stomach for speaking to LanYing so harshly, but he was confused and angry. A water bender. His daughter, fire nation born and raised, was a water bender. He didn't understand how this could be so. Unless… His brow furrowed and he quickened his pace. He needed to get home and talk to Liu.

Suddenly, a loud trumpeting noise stopped Ju-Long in his tracks and directed his attention towards the center of the market. A capital official with the royal seal embroidered onto his robes was standing there, accompanied by a few other companions, one who was lowering the horn that had announced their arrival. Everyone in the marketplace stopped moving to listen to the news they had to bring.

"Officials from the Capital? What could be going on?" Ju-Long muttered. "And on _today_ of all days."

The official unrolled a scroll and cleared his throat before speaking in a loud voice.

"Citizens of the Fire Nation! I bring you both news of sorrow and of joy! Our gracious and fearless leader, Fire Lord Azulon, father to Prince Iroh and Prince Ozai, has passed from our world."

Gasps and murmurs rippled throughout the marketplace. Ju-Long himself was shocked. Their ruler, though older, had been healthy in his later years. Azulon's death was extremely sudden and nobody was prepared for this news. The official allowed a couple more seconds to pass before continuing to read aloud.

"We honor our great ruler Azulon, for though the sun has set on his life, it will arise anew in the life of his successor. Prince Ozai has been named Fire Lord, as per his father's dying wish." The official was forced to stop reading as the market exploded in uproar.

"What do you mean Ozai is the Fire Lord?"

"What of Prince Iroh?"

"Iroh is the true Fire Lord, even if his son has passed!"

"Papa what's happening?" LanYing asked, her voice quivering and straining to be heard over the chaos of the crowd. Ju-Long remembered she was still hung over his shoulder, but didn't put her down.

"Nothing, LanYing. The people are just confused. Just like I am." The last sentence was whispered under Ju-Long's breath so that the child wouldn't hear him.

"SILENCE!" The official bellowed and sent a pillar of fire arching above the market. The people grew quiet, but unhappy murmurs still rippled amongst them.

"This was Fire Lord Azulon's dying wish." The official continued. "May Fire Lord Ozai's reign be everlasting and may he lead the Fire Nation to victory in this war! All hail your new ruler, Fire Lord Ozai!"

A few in the marketplace let out some half- hearted cheers, while the rest grumbled, angrily.

"To ensure a smooth transition to his reign, Fire Lord Ozai has ordered that every town in the Fire Nation be visited by an official and tended to for the first few months of his leadership."

Ju-Long stiffened at this announcement and glanced around him as Fire Nation soldiers materialized out of the crowd. The marketplace grew quiet as people around him noticed the soldiers surrounding them, a subtle threat of what could happen if they didn't behave.

"Fire Lord Ozai is surprised as the rest of his citizens to be named Fire Lord, but asks his subjects not to fret, for he will bring his great-grandfather Sozin's wishes to fruition and shall continue to spread the blessing of the Fire Nation's greatness to the rest of our world."

The official rolled up the scroll and placed it back in his bag. "That is all. Go about your business." He and his companions moved on through the town, as did a majority of the soldiers.

 _Probably going to the next town to spread the news._ Ju-Long thought. But he noticed a number of the soldiers had stayed put. No doubt to quench any sparks of rebellion against their new ruler. He reached up to grab LanYing and place her on the ground.

"Papa, I don't understand what's happening." She looked frightened.

"Quiet, LanYing." Ju-Long once again brushed the child aside, harsher this time. "Right now, I have a lot on my mind to speak to your mother about."

* * *

Liu was in the kitchen, working on her daughter's favorite meal for her birthday party, when she heard the front door open. Confused, she rushed into the hallway to see her husband and her daughter standing there.

"Ju-Long, LanYing! What are you two doing home? It's only mid-afternoon and- Ju-Long, where is your fishing gear?"

LanYing sneezed, drawing her mother's attention.

"LanYing you're all wet! Ju-Long what-" She looked up at her husband's face and her words died on her tongue when she saw her husband's eyes. They looked as if they were on fire, with sparks of anger shooting from them.

"Ju-Long… wha- what happened?"

"We need to talk, Liu. LanYing is our daughter, correct?"Ju-Long's spoke, his voice hard.

"Of course she's our daughter Ju-Long, what kind of ridiculous question is this? She's wet and is going to catch a cold like this." Liu reached out to touch her daughter.

"Don't. Touch. Her." Ju-Long said, enunciating every word harshly. Liu flinched. Her husband had never acted like this.

"Ju-Long, what kind of joke is this? It isn't funny. Stop acting like that and help me get LanYing changed."

"Liu. Tell me. If LanYing is truly OUR daughter. Why in the Fire Lord's name is she a water bender?" Liu's eyes widened and she stepped back from Ju-Long, stumbling as she did so.

"A _water bender_?" She exclaimed in disbelief. "There's no way she could be! I don't have any water tribe ancestry, so there's-"

Suddenly it dawned on her what her husband was accusing her of and she stiffened in anger.

"Zhú Ju-Long, how _DARE_ you accuse me of being unfaithful!" Liu's voice quivered with rage as she straightened up to look her husband in the eye. "You have always been the only one for me. I have devoted my entire life to you and the moment our daughter shows a slight anomaly you accuse me of adultery?"

" _Slight anomaly?_ I'd call that a grave understatement. And what am I supposed to think, Liu? I don't have any water tribe ancestry either. What have you been doing when I wasn't home? Perhaps a handsome water tribe sailor has been coming here when I'm not around!" Ju-Long snapped.

Liu's eyes became hard with anger and sadness at her husband's accusation and her eyes began to water. Ju-Long took a step towards her.

"She's not mine. Is she Liu?"

LanYing cowered in the corner while she watched her parents fight for the first time. She didn't understand what they were talking about but she knew somehow this was her fault and she wanted to fix it.

"Papa! Mommy! Don't fight, please!"

Ju-Long and Liu had forgotten LanYing was there and turned towards her simultaneously.

"I-I'll do anything!" LanYing's voice warbled as she tried to hold back tears. "I don't-t know-w what I di-did but l-let me fix it! Just p-please stop!"

LanYing's voice broke and her sentence ended in a wail as she began to sob. Liu shot an angry, hurt look at her husband before grabbing her daughter's wrist and leading her into her room, slamming the door shut behind her.

Ju-Long stood in the hallway with his hands clenched before turning, opening the front door and leaving the house. Liu sat with LanYing in her arms, who was still sobbing and still had her wet clothes on. Liu didn't care. She held her daughter closer in her arms, listening to her cries, and in her heart, crying along with her.


	5. Chapter 5: Burns of Betrayal

Trial By Fire: LanYing's story

Ch. 5: Burns of Betrayal

* * *

"Alright class. We're going to start learning the history of our great nation. Please turn to page 57 in your textbooks…."

LanYing sighed and turned her attention out of the window of her classroom, drowning out the teacher's voice. It had been three months since the night her father had left the house and didn't come back. Rumors already were circulating and she often caught other students staring at her during break time.

She tried not to let it bother her, but their gazes kept reminding her of that night. She could still feel the coldness of her wet clothes and hear her mother and father's broken, angry voices. She shivered, rubbing her arms to try to dispel the feeling.

"ZHÚ LANYING!"

LanYing startled at the angry voice and looked up to see her stern teacher glaring down at her.

"If you have time to daydream in my class, you have time after school to see the principal. I'll send a messenger to your mother so she knows to be there too."

Snickers from her classmates reached her ears and she shot a sideways glare around the room.

"Yes ma'am." She said softly.

Her teacher huffed and turned away, walking back to the front of the room.

LanYing's face burned with embarrassment and dread and she held up her textbook, trying to look engaged in the material inside. She didn't want to cause her mother any more trouble. More than she already had. She sighed and her heart felt a twinge of pain. She was only seven years old, but deep down, she knew that she would never be able to go back to her carefree childhood again.

* * *

LanYing dragged her feet down the hallway, taking the longest route she could to the principal's office. Kids from the other classrooms were chattering together and preparing to go home.

"Lucky." LanYing whispered.

She had become much more withdrawn in the past few months. Her birthday party on that night had been cancelled, her mother telling her friends that she had fallen in the river and needed to rest. Since then, none of her friends had come to play. Even Jin-Lee and Enju stopped coming by. LanYing sighed. Even if they did come by, she wasn't sure she had the energy to play the way they usually did. And she didn't want to have to explain why her dad was never home anymore.

LanYing rounded the corner of the hallway and was halted at the scene before her. It was Enju, laughing and talking with some of the other kids from their grade, but they all grew quiet when they saw LanYing. Enju and LanYing's eyes met and for an awkward moment they stared at one another before LanYing dropped her gaze and hurried past. But she wasn't fast enough. Some of the group's whispers reached her ears.

"LanYing used to be cool, what happened?"

"I hear her father left her and her mother."

"Eh? Really?"

"Yeah, you didn't know? They say she's not really her father's daughter."

"Oh my sparks, really? That's why he left?"

"Either that, or her father didn't want a non-bender for a child."

Mean laughter followed the whispers and LanYing screwed her eyes shut. She had learned a lot within the past few months by listening. Including what "not really being her father's daughter" meant.

"I don't care what they think, I don't care what they think." LanYing whispered to herself, trying to hold back tears.

Enju stared after the girl who had not long ago been her friend, her emotions hard to read. At one point she almost called out to LanYing, but bit her lip and made no effort to stop her new friends' gossip.

One of the other girls in the group noticed Enju staring after LanYing and grinned. "Hey, Enju. You don't still want to be friends with that loser do you? If you want to be friends with us, I need you to do something..."

* * *

LanYing took a step backward, hitting the stone wall of the school. The group she had walked by earlier had come after her and forced her to go with them. No matter which way she looked, she couldn't see a way out and she doubted these kids were trying to be friendly.

"What do you want?" She said calmly. "I'm going to be late going to the principal's office." Her voice was steady, but her hands trembled.

"Oh, not much." One of the boys in the group said, smirking. "We just want to check your bag for any loose change. You don't mind do you? After all, who would believe the word of the spacy non-bender who can't even concentrate in class against well-behaved honor students?"

He reached for her bag, but LanYing slapped his hand away.

"Leave me alone. I don't have time for you."

"Then I suggest you make time." LanYing froze at the voice and her face darkened as Enju made her way through the crowd to stand in front of LanYing.

"If you don't hand over your bag, LanYing I'm going to have to make you."

Enju made a small flame in her hand, clearly indicating to LanYing what she was going to do. LanYing took a deep breath and let it out, eyes closed. She knew what was going to happen, but she didn't want to trouble her mother into giving her any more money. She couldn't let them have it.

"No. I'm not giving you my bag."

One of the other girls in the group sinickered. "Suit yourself, idiot. Get her."

The group surged forward, grabbing ahold of LanYing's arms and legs and pinning her to the wall. One of them rolled up the long sleeves of her school uniform. LanYing struggled, but it was useless. There were too many of them. Enju advanced towards her, flame in hand. LanYing's stomach twisted and she screwed her eyes shut, bracing herself.

" _Enju, why?"_ Was the last thought she was able to form before the flames reached her.

* * *

LanYing's forearms screamed in agony as she slowly made her way through the hallways, crying silently.

" _If you tell anyone about this, you're dead."_ The threat echoed in her ears.

She mustn't make any more trouble for her mother. She mustn't. Mother would never find out about this. Nobody would ever find out about this. She wiped her tears away from her face roughly, burns protesting as she did so.

Even if she told the teachers they wouldn't listen. Who would believe the word of a spacy "non-bender" anyway?

 _Enju._ The name of her former friend came to her mind, bringing more tears with it.

As much as the burns hurt, they would heal in time. This betrayal was a new kind of wound and it hurt deeper than any cut, scrape, or burn LanYing had ever received before.

She leaned against the wall of the hallway, giving herself a few seconds to compose herself. She wiped off her tears and straightened her uniform before plastering on an unreadable expression and continuing to the principal's office.

* * *

Liu held her daughter's hand on the way home from the principal's office. It was very late by the time the principal had let them go and it was already dark outside. The moon was climbing in the sky, casting a glow on the earth below.

Liu looked down at her daughter who was walking quietly and solemnly beside her and sighed. She knew LanYing was suffering and regretted not being able to be there for her. Since Ju-Long left, she had to get a job in order to keep herself and LanYing afloat. But because she wasn't at home on the weekends anymore, LanYing was all alone.

She noticed her daughter's friends hadn't come over since that night and she was growing increasingly worried about her. This trip to the principal's office hadn't helped ease that worry. LanYing had even been late to the meeting, causing the principal to be even more abrasive.

"Sweetheart? Is there anything you want to talk to me about? All of this has been sudden and very difficult. I just…" _Don't want you to feel alone,_ Liu finished silently.

LanYing looked up at her mother, then down at the dusty dirt road.

"No, Mother. Everything is fine. I won't get sent to the office again."

Liu sighed. That wasn't what she wanted to talk about.

"Honey… no. I wanted to talk to you about your Papa."

"My _father_ left us because I'm a water bender and he doesn't think I'm his daughter. I know, it's my fault."

Liu glanced around frantically. The fact that her daughter was a water bender wasn't common knowledge and she wanted to keep it that way. Fortunately, nobody had heard. She turned back to her daughter.

"LanYing, no. None of this is your fault. I promise. Water bender or not, you _are_ his daughter, just as much as you are mine. He's the one at fault for leaving us. We could have worked this out together, but he chose to run away instead. And I wanted you to know that I'm here for you if you need to talk."

Liu let go of her daughter's hand and stroked the top of her head gently.

"Even though I'm angry with him for leaving us, I miss him. I know you must miss your father too."

LanYing was unresponsive as she continued walking.

Sensing she wasn't going to say anymore, Liu sighed and took her hand again. They walked together in silence. Liu glanced at her daughter to see her looking at the moon. It was full tonight and Liu suppressed a shiver. Full moons frightened her. LanYing, however, couldn't tear her eyes away.

"I feel it." She spoke softly.

"Hmm? Feel what, sweetie?" Liu had no idea what her daughter was talking about.

"The moon. I can feel it. It's tugging on my heart."

Liu shook her head, not understanding a word her daughter was saying.

LanYing kept her face turned away from her mother, looking up at the moon so that she wouldn't see that she was crying.

They walked the rest of the way home in silence, under the moon's gaze.


	6. Chapter 6: The Silver Lining

Trial By Fire: LanYing's Story

Ch. 6: The Silver Lining

* * *

LanYing's arms were still aching with pain when she got home. Keeping her face from twisting with pain in front of her mother during the walk home had been difficult. She closed the door to her room, dropped her bag, and sank to the floor, rocking back and forth in agony.

Her mother had gone to the kitchen, no doubt to make something for them to eat. She hadn't eaten dinner yet and her stomach was gnawing her insides with hunger. She suppressed the pain in her stomach and focused on the pain on her forearms. Gingerly, she rolled up her sleeves to see the damage.

Enju had been merciful, LanYing realized. The burns were only first degree, and even though they hurt like fury, there was no sign of blistering. This would heal within a few days, one or two if she could get her hands on some medicine without her mother noticing.

 _Guess paying attention in Health class when we learned about fire-related burns was useful._ She thought wearily.

She went to her closet and changed into some long sleeved bedclothes to hide her burns before leaving her room to go to the kitchen.

* * *

Liu was reheating some noodle soup she had made earlier before the messenger had arrived to tell her she was needed at her daughter's school. By now, the noodles had been sitting in the broth so long they had absorbed most of the liquid and had doubled in size. She sighed to herself.

"We'll just have to make do. We can't afford to throw this out."

She scooped the noodles into two bowls for herself and LanYing and set them on the table. Their table was low to the floor and had cushions around it for sitting on. She glanced to her right, where an extra cushion lay.

"Ju-Long, why did you leave?" She whispered to herself, heart heavy.

Movement caught the corner of her eye and she turned to see LanYing enter the room.

"Hi honey. I made some soup for us. Go ahead and sit down I'll get us some water."

"Yes, Mother."

Liu's heart twisted with sadness as it did whenever LanYing called her that. Ever since that night, LanYing had called her "Mother" and not "Mommy" as she used to. She felt the distance between her and her daughter widening and didn't know how to close that gap. Every time she tried, LanYing pushed her away. Her little girl was slipping away from her, too fast, too soon. And Liu was afraid the damage that had been done was too much to fix.

Sighing, she poured water from a clay jug into two cups and carried them to the table. She gave LanYing her cup and sat down to eat with her daughter. LanYing had already picked up her chopsticks and was slurping up her noodles, not saying a word about how soggy they were. Liu noticed her movements seemed rough somehow, as if she was trying to avoid moving her arms as much as possible.

"LanYing, what's wrong with your arms?"

LanYing froze, mid slurp, for a second before quickly sucking up the rest of her noodle.

"Nothing's wrong." She answered calmly. But as she lowered her arm down to grab another mouthful, her lips pressed together and she inhaled sharply. Liu was sure she was hiding something.

"LanYing, let me see."

"No." LanYing responded.

"LanYing-"

Liu reached across the table to try to grab her daughter's hand, but in the process, knocked over LanYing's cup of water, spilling it over her daughter's right arm and lap.

LanYing let out a yelp of surprise and leaped up from the table, clutching her arm as she did so.

"I'm sorry, sweetie I was just-"

Liu didn't get to finish her sentence before her daughter fled from the kitchen. A slam of a door followed shortly afterwards, echoing down the hallway. Liu sighed and closed her eyes. Maybe she had been too pushy. When LanYing came back out, she would apologize properly.

 _If she comes back out, that is._ She thought to herself.

* * *

LanYing slammed her bedroom door, grabbed the key off of her dresser, and locked it. She threw the key on her bed and sunk down to her knees.

"That was too close." She whispered. If her mother found out about her burns, not only would it cause more trouble for her, but she would probably make a fuss at the school. She didn't want to cause problems. She sighed.

 _Actually, this whole exchange probably made mother worry even more. Way to go LanYing._

Sighing, she examined her wet clothes.

 _Hmm. I wonder…_

She extended her hand and spread her fingers above the water stains on her arm and legs. She closed her eyes and thought about what she wanted the water to do, then drew her fingers together, as if she was picking up a marble with all five digits, and pulled her hand towards her face. The water obeyed and flowed out of her clothes in a thin stream, then hung in midair.

LanYing opened her eyes and shifted her hand, molding the water into an orb that was floating above her open palm. She stared at the glistening ball of water, fascinated. She hadn't experimented with her bending much, since it needed to be kept secret and since she hated herself for being born a water bender, but she instinctively knew that water bending was about push and pull. Like the tide on the ocean, or the river's current.

"It's beautiful." She whispered.

Suddenly, her mind flashed back to when her mother had spilled the cup of water on her earlier. When the water had hit her arms, it didn't hurt. In fact, it had felt relieving.

 _Maybe… Just maybe…_

LanYing grabbed her sleeve with her teeth, not wanting to drop the ball of water to do this, and rolled up her sleeve. She then raised her hand above her water sphere and pushed down towards her arm. The water encased her arm, surrounding it with its soothing coolness. The liquid began to glow softly, healing her burns right before her eyes.

LanYing gasped in wonder and stifled a laugh. For the first time since she had learned she was a water bender, she was happy about her ability.

She smiled to herself. And now she had a secret that the bullies at school didn't know.

Let them come. Let them hurt her.

She wouldn't let it faze her this time.

* * *

The punch knocked the wind out of LanYing and she fell to the ground, jeering laughter ringing in her head. It had been over a week since she had discovered the healing part of her bending and the bullies had definitely been surprised when she had showed up to school with no evidence of burns on her arms.

Unfortunately, this only added fuel to the fire, as the bullies were sure LanYing had told someone about her burns and had gotten treatment. To keep her from talking, they continued to threaten her and had started using their fists as well as flames to knock her down.

LanYing was silent through the beatings.

It hurt. It hurt so badly sometimes that she cried. But she knew that she could heal whatever they did. They wouldn't hurt her bad enough for it to be too noticeable, so her wounds would be easy to heal.

LanYing pushed herself up off the ground wiping dirt off her face with the back of her hand.

"Are you guys done?"

Her question was answered by a backhand slap to the face from one of the girls.

"Look at you, thinking you're so high and mighty. Non-benders aren't allowed to ask us questions, only we can ask you. How do you keep showing up healed every morning? Who did you tell?"

LanYing smiled darkly.

"Wouldn't you like to know?"

The girl lost her temper and shot a rope of flame at LanYing, burning her ear badly.

"AAGGGGHHHHH!" LanYing screamed, unable to keep quiet this time.

She dropped to her knees, her hands shaking as she raised them to cup her ear.

"Stupid!" A boy growled at the girl who had burned LanYing."People would have heard her scream! And now people will notice she got burned! Places underneath clothes only, we all agreed to that!"

"Shut up!" The girl yelled back at him."This stupid dud was smart-mouthing me! Any one of you would have lost your temper!"

"Whatever, let's get out of here before someone shows up!" Someone else snapped and the group began to disperse, leaving a single girl left in front of LanYing.

LanYing glanced up at the figure in front of her.

 _Enju_.

LanYing grit her teeth before snarling.

"Are you having fun beating up your old friend? Your new friends must be soooo nice to you. Threatening to beat you up too if they don't do what they say. I'm s-"

Enju's face contorted in anger and she kicked LanYing in the stomach, effectively cutting her off before walking away. LanYing's chest heaved and she coughed, trying to get her breath back. She stared at Enju's receding figure.

 _I don't need you._ She thought to herself, tears streaming from her eyes in pain.

Her ear hurt and she could tell this burn was going to take more time to heal.

 _How am I supposed to hide a burn on my ear?_ She thought bitterly.

Through the haziness of the pain, she realized she could hear blows landing and the gasping of a victim. LanYing dragged herself to the corner of the building and peeked around to see another group of kids from the class next door surrounding a figure on the ground. She winced at every kick and punch the kids threw, knowing from experience how it felt.

The figure, a girl, didn't make a sound through the ordeal.

LanYing felt stuck, wanting to help, but not wanting to get beat up again. As she was debating whether or not to intervene, the bullies shoved the girl one last time before running off, cackling.

The girl pulled herself up and leaned against the wall, coughing. She leaned her head back and LanYing could finally see her face. Even though it was bruised and smeared with dirt, it was a face LanYing recognized. She gasped in disbelief before calling out softly.

"Jin-Lee?"

* * *

LanYing leaned against the wall as she sat by Jin-Lee. They hadn't seen each other in months and had now discovered that they were both being bullied in school. It was just a tad bit awkward.

Jin-Lee finally broke the silence.

"You too, huh?"

"Yeah." LanYing responded.

"Why're they after you?" Jin-Lee asked.

"Because my dad left and I'm a non-bender." LanYing replied. "You?"

"Same reason except for the dad leaving thing." Jin-Lee sighed.

"Wait, you're not a bender?" LanYing asked, genuinely surprised.

Jin-Lee smiled bitterly.

"I'm the youngest of 5 children, all fire benders and I'm the only dud. My birthday is over half a year before yours LanYing. If I was a bender, I would have been able to produce fire by now. My parents said I didn't have the 'spark' anyway when I was born, but half my siblings didn't so they still had hope for me."

LanYing was quiet for a while before speaking softly.

"I'm sorry."

Jin-Lee shrugged, wincing at the pain the movement brought with it. She was quiet for a moment before whispering.

"I'm sorry I didn't visit you after your birthday. My parents heard about your dad and wouldn't let me come over anymore."

LanYing's eyes welled up with tears. She looked up towards the sky, her heart growing a little lighter as she whispered back.

"I forgive you."

Jin-Lee took LanYing's hand and gave it a gentle squeeze.

Getting beat up wasn't fun, but having a friend in the same boat made the burden just a little bit easier to bear.


End file.
